Ilayas Disc 1 Crimson Forest
Maze of Gloom |} Lets talk about your newest party member, Cooke. She comes with white magic which is great for healing but not so great for doing damage. If you haven't done so already equip her with an accessory that will let her cast black magic. It will not take her long to level up and get Prayer a darn useful ability as it grants her a free healing spell to whomever she wants but it can only be cast while in combat. If you want to save her MP then find a way to work it in. Cooke is really good at healing (both in and out of combat) as her healing spells heal for more then other party members. Now as far as equipment and skills go for your other characters make sure that Seth and Kaim have Anti-Poison, and Anti-Paralysis skills on and put Antidote Brooch on Jansen. Don't forget to skill link with Cooke she has some nice new abilities that you'll want to learn. Ok there are a lot of things to find here so this is going to take a bit of explaining. Head N to the Save Orb and use it. To the left of the orb is a strange pink mushroom thing when you get close to it you can kick it. Do so and you'll receive the first Crystal Fragment. There are 19 total and 6 of them are in this zone. Continue W and then N as the path turns there are some more mushrooms ahead on the left side of the path with Crystal Fragment #2. N of that fragment is a pillar of rocks ram it for Seed # 41. When you come to the fork in the rode take the E side there are some more mushrooms with Crystal Fragment #3, and a pillar that if you ram it will trigger a battle. S of the last pillar is another, ramming it will reward an Anti-Paralysis Herb. Don't take the E fork in the road continue S to the dead end kick the mushrooms for Crystal Fragment #4. Return to the last fork in the path and go E the next fork you come to go S and kick the mushrooms for Crystal Fragment #5 and a bit farther down the path is Crystal Fragment #6. After you go under the tree branch you'll find another pillar ram it for Angel's Plume. Continue W and you'll be back where you started. Run around the corner and instead of taking the E fork in the road go N for a scene. If you keep going N you'll leave the zone. Do yourself a favor before you leave, open up your inventory go to the items screen then to valuables and check to see if you have all 6 Crystal Fragments. If you don't go back and look for what you are missing. Now this may seem a bit anal retentive but trust me on this one. If you miss a crystal it is a HUGE pain to try and figure out where it is. This is spoken by someone with experience. Right now if you don't have 6 at lest you know what zone you are missing one in. If you have all the crystal fragments take out the log blocking the path and go N. Near Swamp Head N and take the E path when you come to the fork. As you continue down the path don't miss the dead end that has mushrooms containing Crystal Fragment #7. After you go up the hill there will be some more mushroom on the right side with Crystal Fragment #8 Directly across from that fragment is a log that will bridge the path (it's kind of hard to see) go across it and ram the pillar for Anti-Paralysis Herb. Return to the path and go across another log that acts as a bridge over the path for mushrooms with Crystal Fragment #9. Return the way you came and go N along the main path. Stay to the left side of the path when you come to the next fork there will be a group of mushrooms on the left side you can kick for Crystal Fragment #10. Keep N into the large open area on the W side is a pillar with Mana Capsule and to the N E are some mushrooms with Crystal Fragment #11. Head back and take the E fork, keep to the N side of the path and ram the stone pillar for a battle. Once you are in the open area go S into a dead end with a pillar containing Seed # 42. Return to the open area and then go E at the turn in the road kick the mushrooms for Crystal Fragment #12 that should be the last one for this zone check your inventory to make sure that you got all of 12 them. When you get to the next fork continue N and ignore the W path (there's nothing up there for you at this time). Chamber of Stone Tablets |} There are some new monsters here in addition to the ones you've already run across. The Earth Colossus really do a lot of damage particularly if they have charged ahead of time, so I'd really recommend trying to kill them first if encountered in a group. Now might be a good time to equip those Turtle Shell Rings as the colossus are hardened. S of the save orb are mushrooms with Crystal Fragment #13. Take the glowing elevator down and then go to the room to the E. Grab the bolder on top of the steps and roll it over to the elevator that you just came down on. Get it into the center of the elevator and then step back. The elevator will go up and the other one will come down on it is a Tablet Fragment pick it up. You can't do anything with it yet but you'll be glad you did latter down. Go down again W past the elevators and you'll come to some mushrooms with Crystal Fragment #14 exit the zone into the new one. Dungeon Shrine Upon entering this zone you'll trigger a short cut scene. When you head up the steps you'll trigger a bolder come down. If you get hit your party will take damage and be thrown off the edge but you won't die. Take the elevator and it will return you the steps. Run up the steps to the next landing then off to the side you'll see a little platform stand on that to avoid the bolder. Go to the top of the steps and you'll find some mushrooms between the stairs kick it for Crystal Fragment #15. The top of the next stair way will trigger another bolder. Run down it and hug the edges to avoid the bolder. The next landing has a pillar. Run past that to the bottom. Next to the door that closed is a save orb and an MP/HP restore orb. You'll probably want to use both of them at this point. You might be tempted to grind because there is a restore orb right and you can but I wouldn't really recommend it. To the N of the orbs is a chest with Black Magic Spell Curse. On either side is a group of earth Colossus statues if you get close to them they move. If you move quickly you won't trigger a battle event but if they hit you it will. Head N but stay to the W side to come to a group of mushrooms with Crystal Fragment #16. Colossus on the N side the mushroom get you Crystal Fragment #17 and the chest at the end has Cubic Music Score 2. On the S side is a chest with a Slot Seed. Return back up the stairs, grab the pillar move it over to the side. Then run to the top of the steps and avoid the bolder. With the door taken out go to the N most stair way and run to the bottom for a chest with Lucky Clover accessory. Exit the zone this will bring you back to the Chamber of stone tablets but you are in a part you couldn't get to before. There are two mushrooms with Crystal Fragment #18-19. You've now done everything you need to do before the boss fight. Go back to the door you smashed open and use the refresh/save orbs as needed. Before you head in give Seth and Kaim Crisis Defense Boost white and black magic 2 and Casting Support (if you have it). Also what is it with Japan and creepy possessed children? Post boss fight you will be presented with a cut scene and then be asked to swap out disc 1 for disc 2.